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Related Experiment Video

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The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior
06:48

The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior

Published on: January 19, 2019

Strength determines coalitional strategies in humans.

Joyce F Benenson1, Henry Markovits, Melissa Emery Thompson

  • 1Department of Psychology, Emmanuel College, 400 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115, USA. joyce.benenson@gmail.com

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|April 15, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Humans form coalitions based on perceived strength, not just potential rewards. Individuals with lower perceived strength are more likely to seek partners, preferring stronger allies or friends.

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Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Behavioral Economics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Coalitions offer survival and reproductive benefits in social species.
  • Coalition formation involves a trade-off between shared rewards and individual gains.
  • Previous research in non-human primates suggests coalition formation is linked to low individual success probability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate human coalition formation strategies.
  • To determine if humans use perceived strength in coalition decisions.
  • To compare human coalitionary behavior with that of chimpanzees.

Main Methods:

  • A computerized competitive game was used to simulate coalition formation scenarios.
  • Participants' perceived strength and their choices of coalition partners were recorded.
  • Analysis focused on the relationship between individual perceived strength and coalition formation likelihood.

Main Results:

  • Humans exhibit a systematic strategy for coalition formation based on perceived strength.
  • Coalition formation increased as participants' own perceived strength decreased.
  • Individuals preferred stronger partners or those designated as 'friends' when forming coalitions.

Conclusions:

  • Human coalitionary decisions appear to rely on a heuristic of relative power perception.
  • This strategy resembles coalition formation patterns observed in chimpanzees.
  • Perceived social dynamics, rather than solely payoff assessments, influence human coalition formation.